CHALAYAN FOR PUMA

HUSSEIN CHALAYAN is the new creative director for PUMA, it was announced just minutes ago during a press conference in Paris. From today, he is responsible for designing, creating and developing the brand's fashion collections while PUMA has also acquired a majority stake in the designer's fashion label. "Hussein Chalayan is a proven visionary in the fashion, design and art industries," said PUMA's CEO, Jochen Zeitz. "[He] will bring his use of new technology, forward-thinking design and provocative point of view to PUMA". Owning shares in Chalayan's label, he added, "would move PUMA into a new space, expanding our reach to become the most desirable sport-lifestyle company in the world." PUMA has been putting an emphasis on fashion-forward ranges over the last few seasons, most recently by sponsoring the Central St Martins MA show at London Fashion Week. Chalayan can surely only make things more interesting. (February 28 2008, AM)Ally Pyle